Chapter 1. Introduction to Unified Customer Voice Portal

This chapter covers the following subjects:

• The History of unified CVP: In the beginning there was Internet Service Node (ISN).

• What is Unified Customer Voice Portal? This is not your Grandma’s IVR.

• What is VoiceXML? How does CVP exploit VoiceXML?

• Advantages of Deploying CVP: What is the IVR problem?

The History of Unified CVP

In early 2000, Cisco initiated a new project with the code name YoYo. This project focused on the creation of a multi-media interactive voice response (IVR) solution using web technologies as its base. For many years businesses invested in the deployment and utilization of Time-Division Multiplex (TDM) or legacy-based IVRs from which customers would place a call to and interact with for automation of everyday business functions. These front-end IVRs handed calls off to legacy Automated Call Distribution (ACD) systems for further call routing and treatment.